Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	epistle_n	paul_n	timothy_n	2,910	5	10.4803	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50418	A sermon preached at the consecration of the Right Reverend Father in God, Herbert, Lord Bishop of Hereford by Jasper Mayne ...	Mayne, Jasper, 1604-1672.; Croft, Herbert, 1603-1691.	1662 (1662)	Wing M1478; ESTC R19642	22,579	52

learnt in time to write such Letters too or as the young Gentleman whose Father was a Gamester learnt to handle Dice and stake whole Mannors at a Throw So good Example hath the like power to infect by being seen and Vertues may like Vices be made hereditary too But besides those seeds of Vertue sown in him by his Parents St. Paul himself had been his Tutor and had the forming of his manners he was bred up in his School to that ripeness and perfection that he superscribes this Epistle to him as to one begotten by him To Timothy my Son sayes he nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Timothy my own Son sayes our English Translation But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek if we may believe St. Jerome is a word to which no other Tongue can find a word to match it a word which in all kinds signifies the Son to have such a near resemblance to the Father as almost to confirm the Opinion of Andreas Dudithius who in his book De Conjugio Presbyterorum maintains that St. Paul was married and had children like St. Peter Of which but that we know his Father was a Greek the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might perswade us that this Timothy was one Indeed the resemblance between them was so great that as in other births and natural generations the marks to distinguish the true-born from the spurious are the likeness of the child in shape and visage to the parent Sic oculos sic ille manus sic or a ferebat If he have his Fathers eyes and cheeks looks hands and gestures too we may conclude him genuine and the Parent twice the same So St. Jerome in his close Interpretation of that word proceeds by a distinction which holds comparatively true St. Paul had many Sons sayes he whom he converted to the Faith as the Corinthians and Ephesians whom he vouchsafes to call his Sons But the style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Filius germanus the style of true-born Son so in all things like himself as not to be more the Son of the Parents that begot him then he was his morum filius the Off-spring of his Mind so furnisht with his vertues so accomplish'd with his gifts so zealous in his preaching so valiant in afflictions so active in his spreading the Gospel through the World was a style bestowed on none but this Timothy and Titus As if all others were his Bastard-sons begot upon some Hagar and onely these two were legitimate It is St. Jerome sayes so In short as likeness in manners begets a dearness in affections and as a friendship in affections begets a likeness in engagements so St. Paul made him his Fellow-labourer and Associate When the Decrees of the Apostles were to be disperst made in their general Council assembled at Jerusalem this Timothy was chosen to assist him in his Travels as you may read in the 16. Chapter of the Acts at the 4. Verse When an Evangelist was to be sent to confirm those distant Churches which St. Paul himself had planted but was not able to re-visit this Timothy was sent as his Deputy-Lieutenant as you may read in several Epistles to those Churches To all this such a holy prudence shined forth in all his actions his Morals were so good and so seasoned with Religion that his Name was like that precious Oyntment in the Scripture still breathing forth perfumes in all places where he came For he was well reported of he was above all reproch and scandal as you may read at the 3. Verse of that Chapter And of such Instruments as this did the Holy Ghost make choice to be Preachers of the Gospel and Rulers in the Church Men whose Life as well as Doctrine was still Sermon to the People men who confuted Vice not more by argument and reason then by their blameless carriage and vertuous conversation 'T was against the Oeconomy and Discipline of Heaven to send men into Gods Vineyard who went drunk into the Field and who minded not the vine but the vintage grape and wine And the Holy Ghost himself had erred had he given his Pearls to Swine to the sensual or intemperate still wallowing in the mire or had he taken his holy things and cast them unto Dogs no sooner eased of one distemper but returning to another No cloven Tongues of fire did sit upon their heads whose tempers were still cloven still kindling Flames and Factions still breaking of Gods people into divisions rents and schisms The gift of Knowledge was not dropt upon the ambitious proud high-minded their Bladder swelled too much and was too much puft up before To him that hath shall be given was the Rule Gods Spirit went by and more gifts were given to him who had well imployed the former Which leads me on to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gift here in this Text and comes in the next place to crave a room in your Attentions The Saying of our Saviour Christ when he spoke it was so true in the 10. Chapter of St. Luke at the 2. Verse The Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few that to increase their number and to fit them for the work the Holy Ghost was fain to interest himself in the choice of workmen and the qualifying of them too His work and business 't was to send men into the Field and to teach them how to manage and use their Sickle too The Men already chosen if their number had been greater where a World was to be converted were too disproportion'd for the Harvest Besides they wanted parts for so great an undertaking unless they could have done like the man in Eunapius a Greek Historian who tells us of one Aedesius who had so much the Spirit of Divination in his power that he would but clap a Wreath of Lawrel on his head and straight speak by Inspiration straight put himself in Raptures and utter learned Oracles to the great amazement of the Hearers The Apostles were not all bred at the feet of Gamaliel but were as yet unlearned men called from mending Nets fitter to deal with Fishes and to put forth a Boat to Sea then to cast their Nets on Land and there catch men in the Inclosure Besides being Jews they were hardly fit to preach to Jews for where was their gift of Miracles to work upon the Jews who were onely to be gained by Miracles and Wonders Had they preacht to the Gentiles where was their gift of Tongues to preach to all Nations who could speak no Tongues but one Had Christ sent to Athens to stock himself with Preachers he might have found great Scholars there but hard to be perswaded to forsake their own Schools and to list themselves in his Nay these for some Ages were the greatest Enemies of the Faith men who measured Truth by Aristotles Precepts and would believe no more then what some Plato taught Nay men who like Porphyrius called the